"We really liked that students could enter any equation and were forced to correct mistakes..."

—Math Teacher, Richmond, IN

"I am so happy I found this program."

—Student

"By the time I finished with Binary Operations on that system, when Sir teaching it here, I knew all that he was talking about already."

—Student

"Of all of the software I have used...yours was the most elegant and practical."

—M. Lekse, Roundup HS, MT

"I like the tutor avatar because he made me feel special."

—Student

"The systemic step-by-step illustration of each solution is an especially nice feature.
"

—Math & Computer Education

"I didn't understand when the math teacher explained it."

—Student

"Other Algebra programs fell short of your product..."

—Wes Marburger, Spokane, WA

"It made me a great maths person and I understand it a lot better. I love doing maths."

—Student

"I was excited about how quickly the students who had been struggling got to the same level as my better students after using the program."

—M. Lekse, Roundup HS, MT

"The tutor avatars will help you when you are having a hard time."

—Student

"We really liked that students could enter any equation and wereforced to correct mistakes..."

—HS Teacher, Richmond, IN

"Nothing but net."

—Student

"A useful software alternative to the human tutor."

—Math & Computer Education

"It helps me think more about algebra."

—Student

"Your program deserves a prize."

—Wes Margburger, Math Teacher

"It cheers you up and it is kind."

—Student

"Provides several levels of excellent instructional hints along the way to a solution."

—MacGuide

"It was easier to type math than write."

—Student

"The best Algebra tutorial program I have seen... in a class by itself."

—Macworld

"The algebra missions were cool and fun to do."

—Student

"Other programs we found solved the equations for the students or provided too much assistance."

—HS Teacher, Richmond, IN

"Awesome, it made me feel bright."

—Student

Guided, self-paced Algebra discovery.

A student-driven Algebra learning system including: thought-provoking lessons; unlimited practice; mastery self-testing; automatically targeted video lessons; a powerful WYSIWYG maths editor; a public Algebra help forum; and an expert system-powered "private tutor" checking every step of every problem, offering hints and providing solutions as requested. <gasp> And a sense of humor.

Learn Algebra Your Way

You know best how you learn, so we give you the tools and get out of the way. more

Learn Algebra Your Way

Who knows better than you how you learn best? With all the different learning tools offered by Tilton's Algebra, nothing is more important than letting you decide how to use those tools to meet the unbending standard of mastery set by the unforgiving exams we call Missions.

By putting you in charge we unleash your natural creativity. When you get stuck on a Mission, you decide which tool to use to get unstuck, whether it be more practice, reviewing a video lesson, or consulting other students in the public Study Group forum. It is your call.

And, of course, you proceed at your own pace, never tackling more advanced work without mastering its prerequisites.

A Good Teacher...

...helps you discover Algebra for yourself in small steps, beginning with common sense and a sound understanding of arithmetic. more

A Good Teacher...

A good teacher helps you discover Algebra for yourself by combining common sense with a sound understanding of arithmetic.

A good teacher loves the logic of math. They help you connect key elements of simple problems to straightforward solutions using common sense. You learn you can unpuzzle more complex problems by finding and solving the simpler problems hidden within them. You, too, come to appreciate the logic of math.

At every step a good teacher gives you a wide variety of problems to solve, so you learn the essential features that call for one approach over another. They have you do as many problems as you need to master one skill before moving on to the next. They let you learn at your own pace.

As the year goes by your widening array of math skills organizes itself naturally around the meaningful connections you are forever making between the structure of a problem and its solution. You recognize even unfamiliar problems by their abstract qualities and understand how to attack them. You have learned the math.

Tilton’s lessons are not your ordinary Algebra lessons. As math gets harder, our understanding must become more rigorous, our foundation must be solid. Before addressing traditional Algebra, you will go all the way back to ideas as simple as \(1-2-3\).

You will discover zero for yourself and realize why the Romans did not have a symbol for it. You will look at fractions more closely than ever before, learning the Latin origin of numerator and denominator and how those Latin meanings explain why fractions with unlike denominators cannot be added. You will learn that fractions are about multiplication, not division, then put this all together to decide yourself whether or not \(1\over 0\) equals infinity.

You will come to understand negative numbers more rigorously than you may have in Pre-Algebra. You will learn why subtraction is awkward and how negative numbers let us avoid it. You will see that negative numbers are not simple values (\(-3^2=-9\) even though \(-3\cdot -3=9\)) then use that insight to master signed arithmetic. Later on when you learn that \(-3x\lt 15\) entails \(x\gt -5\) you will be able to explain why, not just recite the rule.

Once you begin classic Algebra, you will apply simple common sense and your rigorous foundation in arithmetic to solve the early problems. Later, when you tackle more interesting problems, you will know to look for the simpler problems hidden within them.

Finding those simpler problems may not always be easy. Doing Algebra will often feel like solving a puzzle, but you will be ready for that because early on we will have fun with a few such puzzles. We will turn \(0.\overline{9}\) into \(1\) and \({a-b}\over {b-a}\) into \(-1\), with nothing more than simple Algebra.

With a good teacher, you will feel like you invented Algebra, and in a sense, you will have.

Step-By-Step Help

Stuck on a step? Don’t know where to start? Or could your number facts be stronger? Tilton's Algebra helps four ways. more

Step-By-Step Help

Stuck on a step? Don’t even know where to start? Could your number facts be stronger? Tilton's Algebra helps four different ways. Ask for Socratic hints; see a similar problem solved; watch a video about that specific step of the problem; or ask the Algebra community. Tilton's Algebra offers you all that help, but never so much help that you never learn anything. We make you connect the dots so the next time you run into the same kind of problem you will have a better chance of remembering the math.

Instant Feedback

Learning requires quality practice. Quality practice means feedback as soon as each step is done, not the next day. more

Instant Feedback

Learning requires practice, practice, practice. Quality practice means instant feedback, not feedback delivered a day or even thirty minutes later. Tilton's Algebra checks every step of every problem, not just the final answer.

Right, wrong, or headed in the wrong direction, you will know it immediately. The anxiety of doubt is eliminated and small wins get rewarded on the spot.

Mistakes tell you where to hunker down and concentrate. If the Algebra has you stumped you can get help from the system, videos, or other students all within the app. If you made a careless error...

...just fix it. Now you can tackle Algebra even if your arithmetic could be stronger or if you tend to make careless errors. Your number facts will become stronger and you will learn to slow down and check your work.

Test Yourself

How do you know if you have really learned Algebra? Test yourself! more

Test Yourself!

How do you know when you have learned Algebra? Test yourself! Now there are no Socratic hints, no solved examples to review, and no second chances. One mistake and the problem is marked wrong. Too many mistakes and the test is failed. To make things even tougher, every mission includes problems from earlier topics.

We call these "Missions" because they work like a video game: the "levels" do not get easier so you have to get better. You can attempt a Mission as often as you like, and even quit early if it is not going well. Failed or abandoned missions are never recorded. As long as you are seeing progress, just keep trying!

If you are not seeing progress, go back to guided practice for step-by-step help or review a video lesson to see what you missed. It is up to you.

Missions do more than test your mastery. You must pass Missions on easier Algebra skills before qualifying for more advanced Missions where those basic skills are needed for success. This keeps you from getting discouraged by tackling work that is too hard. It also defines a good learning sequence for the self-taught Algebra student, and for those who want to learn Algebra faster.

On-Line Algebra Study Group

Tilton's Algebra is a powerful Algebra learning system, but sometimes we need to hear from another person to get unstuck. more

Online Study Groups

No matter how powerful we make it, Tilton's Algebra is still a computer system and can do only so much. Often it takes another person to figure out what we are missing. When that happens you can check in with our on-line community of learners and Algebra tutors.

Search the forum archives for someone asking the same question, or start an entirely new thread to get the help you need. Just click the Study Group icon while working on a problem and the software will create for you a draft post prefilled with your math problem and with tags showing the math topic at hand. Just add your specific question and hit "Send".

Strong students can participate, too, helping fellow students when they get stuck, perhaps learning something in the process: the best way to master a subject is to teach it.

As with any social site you will be able to score the help you get when you like it and follow other members of the community you think are especially helpful.

The story of Tilton's Algebra begins with me teaching and privately tutoring Algebra for seven years before turning to a career in computer science. After climbing to the top of the NYC corporate software game I decided to combine my two crafts and give more kids the chance to learn Algebra alongside a private tutor.

I retreated to a cave near the Jersey shore and spent five years teaching a computer how to do Algebra and how to teach effectively. As a teacher myself I used a Socratic approach, leading students close to a new concept by reminding them of things they already knew, then letting them make the final leap. I had the software do the same, never telling the student an answer.

How did it turn out? Macworld said it was "in a class by itself", and years after I moved on to other projects, schools and teachers tracked me down to ask if Algebra I HomeworkTutor was still available.